The health and safety of voters participating in the state and county primaries Tuesday was uppermost in the minds of Fergus Falls officials.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
On Sunday, Aug 9, Republican chair, Jennifer Carnahan, opened the CD7 Western Swing Tour with a kickoff in Fergus Falls in support of GOP-endorsed Republican congressional candidate, Michelle Fischbach.
Shirley “Virginia” Adams was an inspiration to many residents in Fergus Falls for her relentless work in improving the city and getting involved in a number of causes including the Otter Tail County Historical Society, A Center for the Arts, Kaddatz Galleries, Fergus Falls Public Library, as…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
The Viking Library System Executive Committee will be holding its monthly meeting Aug. 18 at 5:15 p.m. via Zoom.
Viking Library System member libraries and the bookmobile now have hotspots available for checkout.
There has been unprecedented milk and product price volatility over the last few months. Rabobank’s global dairy strategist Mary Ledman and vice president of dairy research, Ben Laine discuss their outlook on the global and U.S. dairy markets on a webinar at noon on Tuesday, Aug. 25. The web…
The College of St. Scholastica has announced its list of conferred graduates for spring of 2020. They include the following local students:
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Lake Region Community Partners make up a forum where thought meets action.
Greater Fergus Falls (GFF) is pleased to announce that Protection Pros Disinfecting Services Inc., a commercial disinfecting service headquartered in Fergus Falls, will launch their new service this month. They are the only professionals in the region to offer complete, continuous, food-safe…
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InVision Eye Care in Fergus Falls went through a difficult few months earlier this year, as many businesses did, due to COVID-19. They had to reduce their services to emergent and urgent eye care only at the request of the CDC from about March 17 until May 11. Today, despite the need for a C…
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The Fergus Falls school board directed Superintendent Jeff Drake to implement Tier 2 as the base learning model for the 2020-21 school year Monday morning at Kennedy Secondary School’s Otter community room.
Communities in Fergus Falls and Lowndes County, Alabama lost a strong and passionate educator and activist. Carol Leafblad was a teacher in Fergus Falls for nearly 30 years and changed the lives of many of her students. At the same time, she’d planted seeds in the Lowndes County town of Moss…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
Curtis Haugan was dying back in June when one of his last requests reached the ears of Jeani Young of Lazy J Horse and Rescue.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
A number of local groups came together on Tuesday, Aug. 4 to organize and host “Community Conversations on Equity: Human Rights,” an open meeting that invited community members to listen to speakers and discuss their thoughts on human rights and equity in the area. The meeting was a response…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
For more than 150 years, family farms have driven rural communities. It’s still that way today; family farms support local schools, churches and businesses. In short, family farms support what rural America is all about.
Several local students have been awarded scholarships at Concordia College in Moorhead.
Myron Johnson, a 1956 Fergus Falls High School graduate who died July 28, is remembered by relatives and friends for overcoming polio to become a superb student manager, lifeguard and swim instructor, state probation/parole agent and being a role model as a husband and father.
Gene Kelm is poised to take another step in government with the help of voters from District 3 in Otter Tail County.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
Almost nothing about going to any business these days is the same as it was before COVID-19 began, but slowly things are becoming more routine. Apple Tree Dental has had to make a number of changes to procedure and protocols but, Suzanna Peterson, center director says, “With the month of Aug…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
Just because summer activities may be limited due to the COVID-19 pandemic it doesn’t mean it has to be boring. The Greatest International Scavenger Hunt (GISH) kicked off on Aug. 1 and runs until Aug. 8 with teams around the world competing to complete over 220 challenges that mix silly tas…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
The Lake Region Pioneer Threshermen’s Association in Dalton will not be presenting their annual September show this year after a special meeting by the board.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
The Youth Outreach Scholarship Committee of Lions District 5M9 is offering up to $12,000 in college scholarships for the 2020-21 school year. The application deadline is Nov. 15, 2020.
Cowboys and cowgirls are coming to Fergus Falls on Aug. 15 and 16 to compete in the 2020 Minnesota State Cowboy Mounted Shooting Championship hosted by Wild Rice Peacemakers at the Town and Country Saddle Club Arena near Wall Lake.
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
Starting Monday, Aug. 17, the Minnesota Department of Transportation will begin a districtwide culvert improvement project in west-central Minnesota. The work will include replacing and repairing existing culverts along several Minnesota highways, including:
The Viking Cafe opened up indoor dining to customers last month as Gov. Tim Walz has allowed restaurants to open at 50% or less capacity with appropriate social distancing, and owner Pat Shol has been doing his best to ensure the safety of his staff and customers. “Everything you do is total…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
The Fergus Falls City Council passed resolutions Monday on tax rebates for four properties in Fergus Falls.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
With campaigns for November elections picking up steam, more and more political signs will start popping up on lawns as residents show support for local, state and national candidates. This year might be an especially busy year for campaign signs with the presidential election set to take pl…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
The first half of a special meeting of the Fergus Falls school board Monday found Superintendent Jeff Drake’s speaking voice pushed to the limit.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
Many groups and individuals in Fergus Falls have come together to organize and host the first of several Community Conversations on Equity Tuesday, with the first topic being human rights.
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
South Mill Service in downtown Fergus Falls is breaking new ground according to Bernie Schuetze.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
The summer of “not knowing” ended Thursday afternoon as Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Assistant Gov. Peggy Flanagan and their health and education commissioners announced the state’s Safe Learning Plan.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
Jeremy Fronning of rural Dalton joins the ranks of Otter Tail County farm producers who have been recognized as being certified through the MN Agricultural Water Quality Certification Program (MAWQCP). To become certified, property owners must meet program qualifications through a comprehen…
Businesses around Fergus Falls are adapting to new government regulations regarding COVID-19 guidelines and people are slowly becoming more comfortable shopping in public. At The Market in downtown Fergus Falls, manager Susanne Strom has noticed business picking up this month. “We’ve been ve…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
Alison Kugler of Fergus Falls has earned a Bachelor of Science, nursing degree from Western Governors University (WGU). The online, nonprofit university has graduated over 190,000 students from across the country since its inception in 1997.
The ongoing pandemic has inspired a creative new way of teaching studio art courses at Minnesota State Community and Technical College. M State art instructor John Cox is taking four of his art courses totally online for the fall, but with a twist:
The dust has settled and after several individuals and businesses were nominated, Fergus Falls Daily Journal is now looking for votes for the “Best of Otter Tail County 2020.”
Lake Region Arts Council (LRAC) is now accepting nominations for its board of directors. LRAC is west-central Minnesota’s largest public funder for the arts, providing access to arts opportunities and programming to aspiring and professional artists in the area. The board is made up of two r…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s announcement today of Executive Order 20-82 provides Minnesota schools direction for how they will return to learning for the 2020-2021 school year.
Phillips 66 Aviation is honored to announce the 2020 Phillips 66 Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Young Eagles Leadership Award to Dave and Bonnie Jennen of Erhard.
Otter Tail County auditor/treasurer, Wayne Stein, reminds voters in Otter Tail County that the face covering mandate applies to polling places.
Today, Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, along with the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) and the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), announced Minnesota’s Safe Learning Plan for the 2020-21 School Year.
Highway 210 west of Breckenridge has reopened to traffic. The road had been temporarily closed to thru-traffic while bridge crews completed scheduled maintenance on the Minnesota side of the bridge over the Red River.
Members of the Fergus Falls City Council breezed through six discussion items Wednesday during the first Committee of the Whole meeting since March 11.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
Tens of thousands of children could miss out on healthy food if their families don’t apply for Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer, also referred to as P-EBT, benefits by July 31. About 350,000 Minnesota school children who qualify for the federal free and reduced-price meal program are eli…
Bethel Lutheran Church is poised to offer their sports camp over four days in August at sites in Battle Lake and Fergus Falls.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
Otter Tail Lakes Country and Otter Tail County are pleased to announce the launch of “grab-a-bite” a new program designed to help new residents of Otter Tail County feel more welcome. The program is designed to act as a platform for New York Mills and other cities throughout Otter Tail Count…
Otter Tail County Public Health continues to navigate the road ahead and work to prevent the spread of coronavirus in communities. The cases of COVID-19 continue to increase in Minnesota and Otter Tail County. Currently, there is no vaccine or antiviral treatment for COVID-19. However, ther…
More than 40 students at Minnesota State Community and Technical College have been awarded Workforce Development Scholarships in the first round of awards for the 2020-21 academic year.
Mayor Ben Schierer, the city of Fergus Falls, the Fergus Falls Public Library and the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Community of Practice are hosting the first of several Community Conversations on Equity Aug. 4 at 7 p.m.
With advancement in technology and ever-changing consumer shopping patterns, the e-commerce industry has become a wide-open market and local businesses are starting to see the benefits. For nearly five years, HD Boutique, a women’s clothing store, has had a physical presence for nearly five …
It’s been almost two months since Victor Lundeen Company reopened the store to foot traffic after a month of closure and a month of curbside pickup only. Paul Lundeen, president of Victor Lundeen Company, has noticed a gradual increase in customers as people slowly become more comfortable wi…
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
With a recent jump in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Otter Tail County, two businesses in Fergus Falls — Union Pizza & Brewing Co. and Mill Street Residence — recently announced confirmed cases at their establishments.
When Barry Fitzgibbons took office as the sheriff of Otter Tail County he knew the staff he inherited from former sheriff, Brian Schlueter quite well, having served as Schuelter’s chief deputy.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
The city of Perham has a new police chief. James Gritz will be moving into the job Aug. 24.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
With Gov. Tim Walz’s executive order requiring Minnesotans to wear face coverings in certain settings to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, many community members are looking for masks. Thanks to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), the department is offe…
Zach Stich
Editor
Pierz-based award-winning author Frank Weber visited Battle Lake on Saturday to promote his investigator, Jon Frederick series of books, the third and most recent of which, “Last Call,” was released last year. His next book, “Lying Close,” is set to release in September 2020.
Johanna Armstrong
Reporter
The Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office received confirmation Monday that a 3-year-old drowning victim died after being pulled from Eagle Lake Friday.
Brian Hansel
Reporter
Mill Street Residence identified its first confirmed case of Coronavirus (COVID-19) this weekend. The positive case is a resident at Mill Street. In a written statement, the Director at Mill Street Residence, Mick Siems, stated:
John Romney said what has worked for newspapers in the past will work for them in the future — connect with audiences and report relevant, engaging stories.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz wants everyone in the Gopher State to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Fergus Home & Hardware is pleased to announce the purchase of The Country Store of Fergus Falls. The acquisition was finalized on Friday, July 17, 2020. The plan is to have The Country Store products and services available exclusively at Fergus Home & Hardware starting Tuesday, Sept…